Looking Ahead to 2016

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
– Margaret Mead

As we seek to change the world one neighbor at a time, we are reminded of our mission to "improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by becoming informed citizens who take an active role in our community.” We are informed citizens who know what is happening in the neighborhood, schools and at home, because we are getting to know our neighborhood, attend meetings, and taking an active role in our community by simply saying "hi" to someone passing us on the street and using our connections for a greater cause. Through these efforts, the quality of life in our neighborhood and the City of Lancaster continues to improve.

A year ago, we embarked on a campaign to make our corner of the city a safer, greener and cleaner place. Through a partnership with the Lancaster City Alliance, we were able to bring together the city's best resources for the benefit of our neighborhood. Noah Miller and Andrew Whalen were recommended to co-chair our organization and have lead us through this transitional time. Many shareholders invested their time, energy and resources to help bring about positive change. 

Today, we look ahead to define our next steps as a neighborhood organization. Many components are coming together due to the leadership of a select group of neighbors. These people attend our regular monthly meetings and wholeheartedly volunteer. As we deliberate what is needed to continue the momentum without spreading ourselves too thinly, we must consider the possibility of forming a well-defined leadership board. This board will be charged with guiding the different parts of our organization with the hope of creating community and placing volunteers into roles where they will thrive. The role of this board will potentially expand in the future as we seek non-profit status for Neighbors United. 

During the next few weeks, Noah and Andrew would like to sit down with anyone who is interested in serving our neighborhood in a leadership capacity. We realize that attendance at our regular meetings is not always possible for some of the most qualified community leaders. Each board member will be asked to carve out a time to meet with other members on a quarterly basis. In addition to the quarterly leadership meeting, time for organization, recruitment and volunteering (as it is related to the area of expertise for each board member) will be expected. 

By January 2016, we would like to fill leadership positions in the following key areas:  

• Block Captains (Neighborhood Safety, Dog Watch, Social Gatherings, Litter/Property Violations)
• Events (National Night Out, Community Yard Sale, Guest Speakers)
• Community and Business Partnerships (Fundraising, Spaghetti Dinner, Event Sponsorship, Lancaster City Alliance)
• Publicity (Social Media, e-News, Flyers, Distribution)
• Beautification (Pubic Art/Murals, Graffiti Removal, Community Clean-Up, Street Trees)

 
We are also interested in coordinating clubs for people to get involved in:

• Bicycle Club (Slow Ride Lancaster, Neighborhood Trips, Riding Partners, and Bicycle Sharing)
• Garden Club (Community Plots, Garden Tours, Workshops, Trading Produce, Growing for a Cause)
• Little Free Library/Book Club (Library Placement, After School Reading Program, Adult Book Club, Book Sharing, Neighborhood Reading List)

Neighbors United is already a shining example of what neighbors can and should do. Just as our homes do not stop at our front door, our city does not stop at the downtown. Other city organizations have formed in the last year specifically following in our footsteps, because they recognize how effective a neighborhood can be when neighbors work together. It is our hope that with the changes we recommend and are moving toward, we become an even better example of success for the rest of the city to follow.